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Online:Easter Eggs

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This page is for Easter Eggs only. Easter Eggs include inside jokes, pop culture references, and any similar reference to something outside the Elder Scrolls games. For other points of interest, like references to other games in the Elder Scrolls series, please see the appropriate pages.

Easter Eggs are secrets that the developers put in the game to give people a laugh when they find them. Elder Scrolls Online has a large number of such jokes. Easter Eggs differ from in-game references in that they have been intentionally hidden from the player and are unusual with regards to their surroundings.

Cultural References are objects, characters, or events in the game that refer to a specific element of popular culture; they differ from Easter Eggs in that they are usually integrated into the game world, and strong parallels can be drawn between the in-game event and the specific work being referenced. Cultural references also include allusions to elements of real-world culture, such as historical events and folklore.

If you think you have found an Easter egg or reference, please post your idea on this article's talk page before adding it to this article.

Easter EggsEdit

DevelopersEdit

  • The default name of the Great Daenian Hound pet is "Belle", a reference to ESO Creative Director Rich Lambert's dog.
    • Following the passing of Rich Lambert's dog, a custom Belle pet was added to the game for him and his wife.
  • The NPC Grand Warlord Zimmeron is based on Lead PVP Designer Brian Wheeler.

Community MembersEdit

 
Resting Semaj

KINMUNEEdit

  • Karifa al-Tahud, a Tel Var Armorer found in the Daggerfall Covenant base in the Imperial Sewers, can be heard spreading several conspiracy theories. One of them is: "Queen Ayrenn is a miniature Dwemer construct from the next era. Everybody knows it". This is a humorous reference to KINMUNE, a synthetic sentient being from the future featured in Michael Kirkbride's short story by the same name. In an expansion of the story entitled "Ayrenn", Queen Ayrenn is said to be an identity assumed by KINMUNE.

Fibonacci numbersEdit

First Church of the Holy SweetrollEdit

 
Thogalda and her sweetrolls at The Lonely Troll in Solitude

Game MechanicsEdit

  • During the quest Back in Time, you discover that the Ayleid ruin of Rubble Butte is caught in a Dragon Break. Lady Edwyge's Notes reveal that the events of the quest keep replaying for those trapped inside. This is a nod to the MMO mechanics of delves, which involve supposedly unique, important bosses respawning repeatedly for the next player to kill.
  • Captain Alphaury's Journal states: "We dispatched a couple of the creatures before we were forced to turn tail and run. For some reason, however, as we got close to the forest, the atronachs stopped chasing us. They suddenly seemed to lose interest in us and returned to the ruin." This is a reference to the leashing mechanic, whereby mobs will cease combat if a player gets far enough away from their starting position.
  • During the quest Room to Spare, a Breton landlord named Felande Demarie says: "I've had tenants cram their rooms with the wildest things. Mounts, foliage, assistants - I mean, it's an inn room!" This is a reference to the multitude of strange things you can do with furnishings in the player housing system, such as decorating your free inn room with large mounts.

Jason's HairEdit

  • In October 2014, a craze began within the ESO community surrounding former ZOS Community Coordinator Jason Leavey's hair, which was notably flamboyant. Some years later, the developers created two in-game hair styles (The Standing Flame and The Standing Wave), which were released in November 2017 and January 2018 respectively, for players to equip on their own characters. These were then confirmed by Jason himself on his Twitter page to be references to his hair.

Justin, Scott, and SpeigelEdit

The OnionEdit

Those Who Stood at Chalman KeepEdit

Vitruvian ManEdit

Cultural ReferencesEdit

Alice in WonderlandEdit

  • The Provisioner hireling Gavin Gavonne's message saying "Another delivery for you. Rough day. I barely escaped another Brigand attack. Despite what the locals might tell you I did not 'run like a scared rabbit'. More like a brave and noble rabbit, who happened to be late for an appointment." This is an homage to the White Rabbit character in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
  • During Daughter of Giants, The Prophet upon hearing you encountered Abnur Tharn says: "Curiouser and curiouser", the opening words from Chapter II, The Pool of Tears.

Arthurian LoreEdit

 
The Lady Stone in a lake in Auridon

BeowulfEdit

BoratEdit

The Brothers GrimmEdit

  • The Nord folktale Legends of the Forest was written by The Sisters Glumm, a reference to the German Brothers Grimm, who were responsible for chronicling many popular folktales including Cinderella and Snow White.

CatsEdit

  • When you speak to Kireth Vanos while she is employed in Enrick's Public House, she says "Oh, you just missed it! My rendition of 'Rememberings' from the Dark Elf musical 'Guars' brought the house down. It's a sad, touching number a few light moments, but I've never seen the crowd laugh so hard. I guess I really nailed the high notes." This is a reference to the famous song "Memory" from the Tony award-winning musical Cats by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Chuck Norris FactsEdit

Dark SoulsEdit

 
The Bonfire in the Crystal Tower
  • During the tutorial on the Isle of Balfiera (in the room where you choose your weapon), you can look into a cell to find a knight's spirit beside a bonfire with an Ancestral High Elf Style sword in it. This is a reference to the bonfires from Dark Souls, which allow you to rest, fast travel and level up your character. The knight is wearing heavy armor in the Nighthollow Style, granting him some resemblance to the warrior from the game's promotional material.

Donkey KongEdit

 
Donkey Kong reference in the Imperial City Sewers

Dr. SeussEdit

 
One Dragon Two Dragon book, held by Lawrence Schick

Fawlty TowersEdit

Game of ThronesEdit

  • The name of the quest The Watcher in the Walls is a reference to the oath of the Night's Watch, from the fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire and its TV adaptation Game of Thrones: "I am the sword in the darkness. I am the watcher on the walls. I am the shield that guards the realms of men."
  • The book Rise of the Red Sails contains the line, "Brace yourself Abeceans. A storm is coming." This is a play on a common Internet macro involving the character Ned Stark and the phrase "brace yourself, [x] is coming".

God Save the QueenEdit

Goldilocks and the Three BearsEdit

Goodnight MoonEdit

  • Goodnight Mundus is a copy of the classic children's book Goodnight Moon, with the normal characters and objects replaced by things from the Elder Scrolls series.

Harry PotterEdit

Herp DerpEdit

  • The kwama in How the Kwama Lost His Shoes "hurps and durps". This is a reference to the slang phrase herp derp (sometimes spelled hurp or harp) that is used in response to something extremely stupid or clumsy.

Highland FlingEdit

Hungry Hungry HipposEdit

I Should Buy a Boat CatEdit

  • Sea-Dreamer is a seated Khajiit found reading a book at Woodhearth docks. If spoken to, he will reply with, "This one should buy a boat." This is a reference to the I Should Buy a Boat Cat, an image macro featuring a suited cat having the same thought while reading a newspaper.

The Incredible HulkEdit

Indiana JonesEdit

  • According to Lead Content Designer Jeremy Sera, the explorer Narsis Dren is a play on Indiana Jones, in that his first name is a place and his second is a common surname.

Iron ManEdit

Kindergarten CopEdit

  • There is a drunken Nord near the Windhelm wayshrine who occasionally says "It's not a rumor!" in perfect imitation of Arnold Schwarzenegger's famous line ("It's not a tumor!") from the movie Kindergarten Cop.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of TimeEdit

 
Hazanah
  • Hazanah, an outlaw sneaking around the hedges where an Abah's Landing guard is patrolling, is dressed in what appears to be Link's outfit, as evident in her choice of green clothing and her shield, which resembles the Hylian Shield. Furthermore, the guard's linear patrol path, the character hiding and the location is a reference to Hyrule Gardens, a location in Ocarina of Time, which Link sneaks through to meet Princess Zelda.

The Little MermaidEdit

 
The Little Mermaid
  • A reference to Disney's The Little Mermaid can be found in northeastern Galen, on a rock near Llanshara's docks. Here, the arrow-pierced skeleton of a lamia can be seen striking a similar pose to Ariel, with two seashells nearby resembling her bra.

Men's WearhouseEdit

  • Fredevieve Jeanne, a tailor in Elden Root will say "You'll like the way you're dressed! I can guarantee that, I think." That is likely an homage to this line, spoken by Men's Wearhouse founder George Zimmer, that used to appear in commercials for the men's dress clothes retailer.

Mister Rogers' NeighborhoodEdit

Monty PythonEdit

  • The first two lines of Cadwell's Personal Anthem is a reference to the first two lines of The Lumberjack Song by the British comedic troupe Monty Python. Cadwell is also voiced by John Cleese, who was a member of the troupe, though Cleese didn't actually perform that song.
  • In one of the later quests in Coldharbour, Cadwell wonders if you wish to know his "favorite color", among other things. This is a reference to the Bridgekeeper scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, in which John Cleese's character, Sir Lancelot, was the only one of the main characters to successfully answer the question: "What... is your favorite color?"

One Fine Day...Edit

Cadwell One Fine Day
"One fine day in the middle of the night,
two dead kings got up to fight.
Back to back they faced each other,
drew their bows... and stabbed themselves!"
"One bright morning in the middle of the night,
Two dead boys got up to fight.
Back-to-back they faced one another,
Drew their swords and shot each other."

Over the Hills and Far AwayEdit

Paul RevereEdit

  • The name and objectives of the quest If By Sea are a reference to Paul Revere's famous midnight ride during the American Revolutionary War.

Pied PiperEdit

Reticulating SplinesEdit

  • The Reticulated Spine subzone in Shadowfen is a reference to "reticulating splines", a phrase commonly found in Maxis games since its first appearance in SimCity 2000. It refers to one of the steps involved when a computer creates a 3D image out of a math function.

Running of the BullsEdit

Salt BaeEdit

 
/Salty Emote

SeinfieldEdit

  • An Argonian chef named Makes-Many-Soups can be found in Jorunn's Stand in Eastmarch. If you ask her how many soups, she will say, "Today, only one soup." If you complain, she will declare, "If you are too greedy, you get no soup at all!" This is a reference to The Soup Nazi from the TV show Seinfeld, who would declare, "No soup for you!" and refuse to serve the person at the slightest complaint.

Shortest Short StoriesEdit

The SimpsonsEdit

  • The default nickname of the Black Senche-Lion is "Umbrage Two", a reference to the Simpsons' black cat, named "Snowball Two".

Skill IssueEdit

  • "Skill issue" is gaming slang that implies a player's failure is due to a lack of skill at the game (sometimes used ironically). Sharp-as-Night uses this phrase occasionally after defeating an enemy.

Spider-Man 2Edit

Star WarsEdit

  •  
    Another victim
    There are two references to the scene in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back in which Luke Skywalker finds himself trapped by a Wampa in a cave and uses the Force to reach for his lightsaber. A similar reference appeared in the Morrowind expansion Bloodmoon and in Skyrim.
    • After defeating the troll Skullcrusher (similar to the wampa) towards the end of Broken Helm Hollow, to your right is a small alcove with another troll. To the left of the frost troll is a skeleton hanging upside down from the icy ceiling and a sword protruding from the ice beneath it.
    • In a Wrothgar Ice Cave, there is a skeleton hanging from the ceiling, sword on the ground just out of reach, with animal bones scattered all around.
  • At Thizzrini Arena, Feluni will give you the stage name of "The Mysterious Stranger" after reaching the final round of the arena. This is a reference to a similar competition on the planet Taris in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, where the player would be given the same stage name.

Stranger ThingsEdit

 
The Gorge
  • The quest The Taste of Fear features a monster known as the Insatiable which can cross over and back from a hellish alternate reality known as the Gorge. This is a reference to the first season of Stranger Things, which featured a similar creature called the Demogorgon which could cross over from an alternate dimension known as the Upside Down.

SunstoneEdit

Theodore RooseveltEdit

They LiveEdit

  • Guards may say "I love to crush skulls and eat sweetrolls, and I've no more sweetrolls", an Elder Scrolls universe version of Rowdy Roddy Piper's line "I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass, and I'm all out of bubblegum" from the 1988 movie They Live.

TitanicEdit

 
Titanic reference
  • There is a scene featuring two Orc skeletons and a boat west of Bright-Throat Village. It is a reference to the 1997 film Titanic, towards the end where Jack and Rose are clinging to a piece of debris in the ocean after they escape the sinking ship.

Will SmithEdit

 
/Tada Emote

William ShakespeareEdit

  • Marcy's Kawala Tea is a contraband item with the following flavor text: "This packet of tea comes with its own tea strainer, because the Kawala Tea of Marcy is not strained." This is a reference to "The quality of mercy is not strain'd", a line from William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice.
  • In Daggerfall, Angier Stower can be heard saying, "Do you know the old saying? Neither a borrower nor a lender be? Rubbish! Without borrowers and lenders, how would we ever be able to buy or sell anything?" This is a quote by Polonius from Act 1 of Shakespeare's play, Hamlet.
  • Master Firuth holds the skull of "Gerald" and speaks to it, in a similar manner to how Hamlet speaks to the late Yorick's skull in Hamlet.

William TellEdit

  • To the east of the ritual site in the Lineage of Tooth and Claw quest is a corpse with an arrow sticking out of its head and an apple lying on the ground nearby. This is a reference to the legendary archer William Tell, who was tasked with shooting an apple off of his son's head.

Historical ReferencesEdit

AlcibiadesEdit

  • Azandar was originally known as Azandar al-Kozanset, but changed his name to al-Cybiades after leaving home. This is a reference to the Athenian statesman Alcibiades.

COVID-19Edit

Dear John LettersEdit

Winston ChurchillEdit

Running GagsEdit

For more detailed information, see: Running Gags

Adoring FanEdit

  • The Adoring Fan first appeared in Oblivion.
  • In ESO, he is referenced with the following:
    • The furnishing "An Adoring Fan" is named after him.
    • There is an NPC named "The Undying Fan", who, like the original, is a Bosmer that loves watching arena matches.
    • In Blackwood, you can encounter The Adoring Admirer, a Bosmer fascinated by your exploits. When he greets you, he may exclaim "By Azura! By Azura! By Azura!", or refer to you as "the champion". An achievement can be earned by meeting him four times.
    • The Adoring Stand is a hair style available from Grim Harlequin crates. Its name and description reference the Adoring Fan, and it is similar in appearance to the style of hair used by the Adoring Fan in Oblivion.

Arrow in the KneeEdit

Sweetrolls and Fish SticksEdit

Giant Club LaunchEdit

  • Originating from Skyrim, the gag comes from when a giant hits a creature with its club, the target would be sent flying hundreds of feet into the air.
  • In ESO:
    • Sigunn says, "That giant took me by surprise. Wrecked my wagon on the road and clubbed me so hard I swear I was swimming in the sky."
    • The lorebook All About Giants mentions that giants "swing huge clubs and launch even a burly Nord over field and stream" - and then an addition at the end notes that the original author was found dead a full league from the nearest giant camp.
  • In the book Kyne's Challenge: A Hunter's Companion, there's a line that references this: "Unhappy in the extreme, it lifted its colossal club, then dropped it into the heather, hitting the ground with such force I half expected Fenrig to be launched tumbling upwards, through the low clouds to a distant doom."

IcarusEdit

The Scrolls of Icarian Flight, which may be obtained from Tarhiel in Morrowind, are named after Icarus, a character in Greek mythology who attempted to escape from Crete using wings created by his father by attaching feathers together using wax. Icarus flew too close to the sun, which melted the wax, causing him to plunge to his death. Tarhiel could not have chosen a more appropriate name for the scrolls.

  • In ESO:
    • There is a Bosmer named Icarian, who researched similar spells with the same tragic result hundreds of years before Tarhiel.
    • ESO's Necrom chapter would later contain an NPC with the name Tarhiel Farano who also suffers the same fate, and states :"Keep laughing. My descendants will perfect my spell, but you won't be around to see them."

Lusty Argonian MaidEdit

In ESO, there is many references that can be seen in the game.

M'aiq the LiarEdit

M'aiq the Liar is a Khajiit character who has recurred in many Elder Scrolls games since Morrowind. In ESO, he can be encountered throughout the base game, in Northern Elsweyr, and as a houseguest.

Naked NordsEdit

  • Morrowind featured several Nords tricked by witches
  • In ESO, two quests relating to naked Nords are present: The Naked Nord in Deshaan, and If the Spell Fits in Vvardenfell.

Riverwood ChickenEdit

  • In Skyrim, it was common for new players to impulsively kill a chicken in Riverwood (and other small towns) for the first time and find that most inhabitants of the settlement become hostile and attack them. For their willingness to fight to the death over the crime of murdering a chicken, the NPC behavior was widely satirized.
  • In ESO, Riverwood White Hen is named for the town where first-time chicken murders often occurred and has the description "Owners grow extremely attached to them, and become outraged if they're harmed.", referencing the reaction of the NPCs.

Removed Easter EggsEdit

Lord of the RingsEdit

  • In Toothmaul Gully, a character allegedly named "Gollum" could be heard saying "Precious" during the beta,[1][2] though this was later removed at launch and all remnants were scrubbed from the files.

Sabrina the Teenage WitchEdit

See AlsoEdit

  • M'aiq the Liar, the recurring character whose comments are references to events and features of the game (both new and removed), jokes, and Easter Eggs.
  • Elder Scrolls Online Subforum — A place on the UESP forums where you can discuss Easter Eggs related to ESO.